We've only been to Lillington twice. The first time was a hiking trip. The second, a one of a kind experience with animals. We also had a chance to check out a local restaurant. I figured why not turn our activities into a short itinerary for you.

Here's how you can spend a day or weekend in Lillington. Whether visiting with adults or with kids, you're sure to enjoy!

If you like animals- birds specifically- one activity I highly recommend is visiting Hawk Manor Falconry. It's a facility that trains birds of prey to hunt. While we've spent time with many different types of animals, this experience was unlike any other. We were up close and personal with professional trainers & birds we'd normally be wary of.

Chip & Sommer Gentry are the owners. They're phenomenal at not only their craft, but at entertaining & educating their guests. My daughters & I attended one of their workshops & were blown away by what we learned. Even more impressive were the birds we came face-to-face with: a red-tailed hawk, gyrfalcon, black vulture, and a barn owl.

I wrote a detailed article of our experience & other pertinent information. Find it here at my WRAL link. And if you enjoy video, our vlog is below. I'm adding a call to action (CTA) here by asking you to subscribe to our channel for more adventurous experiences. =)

Click here for a quick snippet of our time there shared on WRAL news.

Another place to add is Raven Rock State Park. It's about 4810 acres along the Cape Fear River. Hiking, fishing, paddling & camping are just a few ways to enjoy this beautiful location. Here are previous articles I've written about this park:

-Overview of our hiking trip

-Personal tips/details from my experience

-Information from a reader & former volunteer for Raven Rock.

See our visit for yourself in the vlog below.

Last but not least, Tacos Oaxaca Mexican Restaurant. We visited for lunch & thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Extremely friendly staff, peaceful atmosphere, good music and good food. That equals a great time for us! We'd definitely visit again.

After eating, my youngest wanted to play. In the falconry vlog above, you'll see us visit a park but we didn't stay a long time. The summer heat was just too much. If you're visiting with kids, a quick Google search pulls up numerous parks with playgrounds in the area.

Know that there's plenty to do for a day trip or weekend stay in Lillington. There are some activities we're still curious about. If/When we return, I'll add to this itinerary & give you more options.

Have you been to Lillington, NC? If so, what would you add?